Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Have an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch? You need to update it right now

By

iPhone 14 Pro Max against a red background.
Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

If you own an Apple product — be in the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or a Mac — you should update it immediately. Why? Apple has begun rolling out updates to all of its devices with fixes for a serious security vulnerability.

Recommended Videos

The security vulnerability is known as CVE-2023-32434, and it has to do with the kernel privileges of Apple devices. Per Apple’s website, the vulnerability allows third-party apps to “execute arbitrary code.” In other words, if a bad actor knows how to exploit this vulnerability, they could potentially gain access to your Apple device and wreck havoc.

Related

The bad news? That vulnerability affects iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs. The good news? An update is available now that patches the CVE-2023-32434 vulnerability so you don’t have to worry about it.

The original iPad wallpaper in iPadOS 17.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

If you have an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, select General > Software Update, and you should see an update available for iOS 16.5.1 or iPadOS 16.5.1, respectively. If you have an Apple Watch, open the Watch app, select General > Software Update, and you should see an update for watchOS 9.5.2. For Mac users, open the Settings app, click General > Software Update, and you’ll see an update for macOS 13.4.1.

These updates also address another security vulnerability for iPhones, iPads, and Macs — specifically, a WebKit-related one that could process “maliciously crafted web content” and “lead to arbitrary code execution.”

Although there’s not much else to talk about beyond these security fixes, we’re expecting a lot more from Apple’s software teams later this year. Apple is currently developing the next major software updates for all of its platforms — including iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14 Sonoma. Developer betas for all of those are available now, and if you’re interested, you can download them right now for yourself using one of our guides:

However, seeing how those big software updates are all still in the “developer beta” stage, we recommend that most people wait until the software officially launches later this fall — or at least until public betas are available later this summer.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Joe Maring
Joe Maring
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joe Maring has been the Section Editor of Digital Trends' Mobile team since June 2022. He leads a team of 13 writers and…
iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook
You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad. 

Read more
New iPad mini leak should make you think twice before buying one right now
Reading comics on Apple iPad mini with A17 Pro.

Rumors of an OLED iPad mini started popping up last year and according to a new leak from Digital Chat Station, the company is currently testing a Samsung-made panel for the new model.

Spotted by MacRumors, the Weibo-based leaker says Apple is evaluating an 8-inch OLED panel from Samsung, but they don't know what the refresh rate is yet. The LCD display on the iPad mini 7 is 60Hz but it could make sense to expect something higher this time around. The leaker, along with other sources, expects the iPad mini to launch in 2026.

Read more
I love Apple’s minimalist Mac design, and the iPhone 17 Air needs to follow it
Apple Mac Studio 2025 top down view showing desktop.

It’s no secret that Apple’s products are among the best designed devices in the tech industry. Just one peek at the MacBook Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro and you know that you’re looking at quality.

There’s a reason for that, and it’s got nothing to do with blind luck. No, Apple’s design philosophy has long been to strip away the unnecessary elements of a device until you’re left with only the essential components. There should be nothing extraneous, no needless fluff. Instead, the product should be the core expression of a concept, such as a phone or a computer. That has led to some of its best designs.

Read more